Home Tweens + Teens This Is the Only Vending Machine Schools Should Have By Erica LoopDecember 11, 2018 Search more like this readingfootballvendmachinedonateaddbookfree-bookspotato-chipsfillschoolfunawesomenessleague Read next Tweens + Teens The Best Organic Clothes for Babies & Toddlers Tweens + Teens 45 Pumpkin Carving Designs That’ll Wow the Neighborhood Tweens + Teens Target’s Best Holiday Deals Start Sooner Than You Think Tweens + Teens This Larger Than Life Mister Rogers Monument is Exactly What the World Needs Tweens + Teens Want a Free Donut on Halloween? Here’s How to Get One from Krispy Kreme Vending machines—while convenient—aren’t exactly something you’d want in your kid’s school, especially if it was loaded up with potato chips and soda. But what about a vending machine for books? Yep, books. Turns out, kids absolutely, positively love it! Buffalo Public Schools’ Arthur O. Eve School of Distinction #61 added something pretty cool for their kiddos. While they could have filled a vending machine with snacks and goodies—even healthy ones—the powers that be thought the treats should come in more literary flavors. How cool … the first book vending machine in one of our Buffalo Public schools. Kids earn tokens and get a free book! Hey, authors, anyone want to help keep it filled? #kidsneedbooks pic.twitter.com/pk4NYrH5lp — Dee Romito (@writeforapples) November 27, 2018 So how does this genius literacy tool work? Students in grades pre-K through 4 get tokens monthly. They can then use their tokens to choose a book. The students are free to read their book once, twice or as many times as they want! If you’re wondering who thought of this brilliant idea, the vending machine awesomeness came from the mind of assistant principal Unseld Robinson. According to The Buffalo News, Robinson said, “Many children in Buffalo are not reading as much as they should. So the thought was to have them look to the vending machine for inspiration.” The Community Action Organization paid for the vending machine ($2,000!) and added $1,000 worth of books. Scholastic and The Teacher’s Desk also donated books as well. When word got out about this amazing action, children’s authors took to Twitter, offering to donate their reads to the machine too! We’d be happy to donate copies of our YA Galactic Football League series — who do we contact? — Scott Sigler (@scottsigler) November 28, 2018 Not only does the vending machine give the kiddos plenty to read, but it makes reading fun. Principal Parette Walker told The Buffalo News, “We wanted to make literacy exciting and fun.” Walker also added, “because learning and reading should be fun.” We totally agree! —Erica Loop Featured Photo: Element5 Digital via Unsplash RELATED STORIES: The Best Kids Books of 2018 100 Best Books to Read Before They Turn 12 3 Books Every Kid Should Read, According to Melinda Gates
